Restaurant review: B Spot doesn't make the A-team

Thursday

Jul 31, 2014 at 12:01 AMJul 31, 2014 at 1:47 AM

When I stepped into the hectic new B Spot, Tom Petty's "American Girl" was playing. Since B Spot is patriotically burgers-and-fries-focused, that seemed like an appropriate song. It'd be the first of several apt tunes I'd hear.

When I stepped into the hectic new B Spot, Tom Petty’s “American Girl” was playing. Since B Spot is patriotically burgers-and-fries-focused, that seemed like an appropriate song. It’d be the first of several apt tunes I’d hear.

Arising from eminently likeable Cleveland native/celebrity Iron Chef Michael Symon — who also co-hosts ABC’s “The Chew” with “Molto” Mario Batali — B Spot is a little chain with a big following. Supplying free publicity for this frequently slammed Gahanna-located link, about a week before it opened, Symon appeared in the New York Times as an expert describing how to make the perfect hamburger. Too bad Symon isn’t cooking out in Gahanna.

I’m not suggesting B Spot’s burgers stink, because they don’t. No, I’m saying the Gahanna B Spot makes good — not great — burgers, but attains nothing higher than goosed-up fast food, plus alcohol, in an exuberant setting. Only its food doesn’t always shoot out so fast.

On one visit, while Foghat’s “Slow Ride” interminably played, my burgers took 25 minutes to arrive. On another occasion, as “The Long Run” by The Eagles droned on, I experienced a similar wait. Tack on a half hour to be seated during rush hour, and you’ll find ample time to investigate B Spot’s environs.

There are differences between good and great burgers. The three beefwiches I tried — two were correctly cooked to my requested temperature — primarily fell short because of their complete lack of a seared crust. Other than that, B Spot’s juicy and grill-marked burgers scored well with their high-quality Pat LaFrieda-sourced meat and OK, glossy buns. Toppings, which include a DIY pickle bar, were hit and miss.

For instance, the barely there chorizo on my Ice-T-would’ve-laughed New Jack City ($10) just tasted salty. New Jack also had lotsa avocado, red peppers, green salsa and melted pepperjack cheese.

The best B Spot burger I tried was the most stripped-down. That’d be the Thin Lizzy ($8), whose harmonious medley of caramelized onions, melted cheddar and pickles didn’t obscure its good beef.

There are also fried bologna sandwiches and bratwursts, such as the no-snap-from-its-soft-wiener-casing Clevelander ($7). Like every “Clevelander” on the night I ate it — right before LeBron finally re-signed with the Cavs — it was a mess, only with cole slaw, hot sauce and fries instead of anxiety.